Xena: Warrior of England?
by Lady Razeli
Summary: Xena and Gabrielle are separated and she hasn't heard from her in years. But one day Xena is taken to 16th Century England. Can she stop the threat against Queen Elizabeth the I.
1. Chapter 1

Xena: Warrior of England?

By

Lady Razeli

Disclaimer: I do not own Xena: Warrior Princess. Also some characters are based on real life people and obviously I don't own them.

Chapter One

"Good luck Gabrielle, I'll come visit you as often as I can except at Solstice, I'll be in Amphipolis," Xena told her. Gabrielle nodded as they hugged.

"I'm going to miss you Xena, are you sure you don't want to stay, you can be my champion." Xena laughed a little.

"No, as honored as I would be, I can't. It's just not something I want to do right now." Gabrielle nodded. "Well I must be going, I hear there's a Cyclops near some village to the East. Besides its time you took your place as Queen." They hugged one last time before Xena mounted Argo and departed.

"Thanks for helping me do this guys," Xena said to Hercules, Ares, Iolaus, and Autolycus.

"No problem," They said.

"I don't understand why you just won't let me zap you a house," Ares complained.

"Because Ares there's no fun in it." Xena left out for a moment.

"Besides Ares we get to actually be around Xena, if you just zapped her a house and the largest barn seen we wouldn't be here and neither would you."

"I made lemon bars."

"Yes!"

"Man anybody who doesn't love lemon bars is insane," Autolycus commented.

"You don't have to tell us twice," Xena mumbled as she bit into another bar. Soon they were all finished. Xena had a cozy cottage with room to spare and now she could start her farm and new life. Xena was pregnant after a one-night stand with someone who was supposed to be her enemy potentially. She didn't tell Gabrielle that Marc-Anthony and her had, had relations. It was none of her business after all. Now she was pregnant.

Once the men had left after helping her build fences she bought a flock of sheep from an old farmer and got two Belgian Sheepdogs. The only problem was they didn't keep animals from killing off her sheep. So she got four Great Pyrenees guard dogs. They were so cute and affectionate. They were very good at keeping her herd safe.

"Sir, Sir!" Xena called the farmer came over. She held her one-year-old daughter on her hip.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" He asked seemingly annoyed that he was being interrupted in his work. He had goats to take care of. His sons watched as they herded the goats.

"I'd like to buy some of your goats." His attitude seemed to change immediately. He had dairy goats, which was a good thing in Xena's opinion. She bought a new mother and a male goat, but mostly she bought lots of kids to raise up. The farmer couldn't understand it, but he and his sons helped her herd the lot to her farm.

"I see you've got guard dogs." Xena nodded.

"Just got a new litter of pups in a few months ago."

"You selling?"

"I suppose I could let two or three off my hands." Xena saw a chance to get some of her much needed money back. He nodded and gave her back half her money seeing what kind of stock the puppies came from. His sons were thrilled.

"Chastity, stop poking the goat with the stick." Xena took the stick away from her young daughter. She was such a handful that Xena didn't know how she had managed to raise her and keep a flock of sheep, now she had goats too. She took her inside and soon they were drying fruits in the sun, so they would last longer. Chastity had brown eyes and hair. She looked just like her father. Xena hadn't told Gabrielle about her. In fact she had just seemed to wash off the face of the earth except she had began sending letters again, but Gabrielle had yet to reply to one personally. Her mother traveled to visit every now and again to see her granddaughter as well as Xena.

"Momma look at my bird." Xena looked at the parchment Chastity was drawing on. She was five years old. Xena smiled.

"Wow I'm impressed my little artist." Chastity smiled. Xena looked down when she felt pulling on her dress.

"What is it Lexie?" Xena asked.

"I go pee pee." Lexie was her three-year-old. After Chastity had turned two years of age Xena found that she wanted more children, so she found a good looking guy and procreated three more times. After Lexie there was Selene, two, and Aurelia, one.

"All right let's get you changed." Xena cleaned her bottom and changed her cloth diaper. She washed the soiled one and hung it to dry.

"Wow four daughters now," Ares said. "How about you let me give you a son."

"No thanks Ares, now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to work. I have a lot to do before the winter. She argued a little more before Ares left.

"Come on girls we have to go round up the animals." They all stood up and followed her to the sheep. They got hot after running around in the summer sun while she and the dogs herded the sheep into their pen, so they undressed down to their diapers except Chastity who wore panties. Xena dressed them, but she had gotten use to her girls stripping down to their diapers in the summer. Sometimes she didn't even bother to dress them. Sometimes she joined them, she had nothing to be ashamed of and she wouldn't have them being ashamed either.

"I can't wait for the day they learn to put their dresses on the fence." Xena picked up their clothing finding them with rips from where a goat had taken the liberty to chew on them. After the goats and sheep were in Xena rounded up the horses. Argo had bred a few Fillies and Foals before she had died to Xena's dismay, but Argo two was just as excellent as her mother was. Her brothers and sisters were beautiful and sold for a large profit. Except one of her foals that she kept and bred often to create lovely horses.

"Here Chastity go feed the chickens, geese, and ducks with your sisters." Xena told her to get her children out of her way as she cleaned the horses' hooves. It was a tricky business and she didn't want them hurt. Xena grabbed a duck and broke its neck in one swift movement. She let the girls pluck off all the feathers while she put on some vegetables over the fire drawing water from the barrel. She lit candles for the coming night and set the table. Aurelia pulled on her apron getting muddy handprints on it.

"Aren't you filthy," Xena told her as she kissed a clean spot on her cheek. Aurelia had blond hair and blue eyes. The only one of her children with completely blond hair while Selene was more of a dirty blond, but she was leaning more towards brown these days with Hazel eyes. Lexie well Lexie took after her no question except her eyes were a beautiful Green not blue. Xena walked outside.

"Come on girls I think its time we drew water for your bath."

"I don't want a bath," Chastity told her.

"Too bad you're all dirty and you can't eat dinner covered in mud. They put the bird on the table. Xena grabbed their bath essentials and took them down to the river. She washed them all until they were clean and ushered them back naked to their delight in the nice warm air. The sun was just setting when they returned. She checked the vegetables to find they were ready and took them off the fire. She cleaned the fat duck and soon had it roasting on a spit.

"Girls come on you have to get dressed." She chased them around only stopping to make sure dinner wasn't burned before she caught them all and set them at the table. She quickly set food and water out for the dogs before she milked the cow for the night and locked up the barn. She made sure the pens were closed and the pigs were nestled in their sty down wind of the house. When she came back she took the duck off the fire and cut it up. She gave the youngest girls the legs and small portion of vegetables.

"Eat your vegetables," Xena ordered. She had to brive them with leftover pie from the other day. After dinner she played a few games with them and than told them a few stories before she put them to bed with a song. She checked on the animals again and made sure everything was okay.

"Son of a bitch those stupid wolves," Xena muttered finding her herd dogs dead. "Come on girls we've got to go into town." They buried the dogs to their dismay and came back with nothing. The only thing Xena could buy cheap was Llamas and they guarded like dogs. Unfortunately she didn't have time to go to Athens just yet. She was still looking for two workers. She got a cat to chase away the mice in her garden as well.

"I like the kitty mommy," Chastity told her as she petted her.

"I like her too, she's very useful." The cat jumped out of Chastity's arms and went to stalk her prey. "Come on, I need help watering the sheep." They brought bucket after bucket to the sheep. Xena didn't want to let them out. She had four girls to look after and she couldn't afford to herd all the herds without them. She gave the goats water and the brought them food, but it obviously wasn't enough.

"We have to find workers soon Chastity." Chastity nodded as they finally finished. But no one came and in fact she never found anyone to watch the animals while she went off to Athens for a good herd dog. She had to transform two puppies into herd dogs, but they weren't very skilled and they were better at guarding so often times chores went undone until late just looking after the sheep.

A year later Xena's prayer was answered when there was a knock on her door late one summer night when it was storming. Of course she still practiced her skills when the girls were asleep and was confident she could take on anyone.

"I hear you're looking for a worker," He said. Xena nodded. He was tall and strong.

"Yes, I am come in." She got him some food and milk. She sat down. "I'm sorry all I have is milk at the moment, apples are out of season." He shook his head as he gobbled down the duck, cornbread, steamed lettuce, and potatoes.

"Its fine, I haven't had a good meal in ages and it would be a miracle if you'd give me this job, I'm in desperate need of it."

"What did you do before this?" Xena asked.

"Look Ma'am, I'm very poor, my clothes are rags at this point. My father was a warrior and he raised me as one. I went to jail for something he did and he misused the second chance I gave him by ending up in jail with me after six years of my life was gone. I just got out and I've got no skills and no schooling. But I promise you I will work hard if you just show me what to do."

"Look…" Xena looked at him for a name.

"Eric."

"Eric, I'll be fair and give you a trial run, but you have to stay away from my daughters until I deem you safe enough, understood?" Xena asked. Eric nodded hoping she had cute daughters. "Good, I hope you won't mind sleeping in the barn, there's no room here and if I hire you, we'll build a small cottage for you later." He nodded. The next morning Eric turned out to be a very hard worker and worked hard at whatever job she gave him. She had him take out a small group of sheep and he didn't lose one. Soon he was helping to look after all the animals.

"So am I hired?" Eric asked. Xena nodded. She gave him some coins.

"Buy yourself some new clothes and a hair cut, you're going to need it working out in this sun." He nodded. "I'm afraid a lot of you pay comes in the form of your home and meals. Unfortunately since I decided to have kids so close together everything is hectic and I spend more on the animals than they make me in the market."

"That's fine ma'am as long as I can count on a position here for a long time."

"You can unless you do something that gives me great reason to fire you." He nodded.

"I won't, if you don't mind I plan on working here until the day I die. This place will keep me out of trouble."

"I don't, but I expect once everyone hears you're working for me, they'll be talk and speculation as usual."

"I'll try not to give them any reason to suspect." Xena shrugged.

"It makes me no difference I like it when people suspect a scandal. You better be off to town we're going to be busy tomorrow there's wool to clean and spin for the end of summer market." He nodded.

"Am I allowed around your daughters now?" He asked. Xena nodded.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't approve of around them or too or you'll regret it." He nodded. "Chastity is my eldest, she's six years old. Lexie is four, Selene is three, and Aurelia is two."

"They're beautiful by the way and you're doing a great job raising them alone." Xena nodded.

"Thanks." Eric left. The days passed and Eric did a great job helping out with the herds and things.

"I've got plenty of chickens so you're welcome to kill a chicken or two for supper and you'll have to pick some vegetables from the garden. Otherwise you know where everything is and there's always meals at the tavern if you can't cook." Eric nodded. "We should be gone a week."

"Don't worry I'll take good care of the farm." Xena nodded.

"Mommy come on we're ready," Chastity said from the wagon. She was very excited to be traveling outside of the village. Xena had been promising to take her to Athens eventually. Xena pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail and made sure Argo II was properly hitched to the wagon.

"Calm down Chastity we're going." They waved to Eric before leaving. Xena used rope to tie her daughters together at wrist, they were explorers and if they wandered off from her well, the rope just made it easier for her to find everybody except Aurelia who was stuck to her hip.

"Girls, come on and stay quiet during the show." She took them to see a puppet show for children in a medium sized tent. They were excited and really loved it and their favorite was a juggler who kept them occupied while she bought two healthy sheep dog and two puppies from two different litters a male and a female. Afterwards she managed to haggle with a toy vendor to their delight before they set off for home.

"Mommy can we go back again?" Lexie asked.

"Sure one day, but I think our next trip will be to visit Grandma okay." Lexie nodded happily she loved Cyrene especially when she cooked.

"Eric!" Chastity exclaimed. She jumped out of the wagon with the other girls. Xena had to help Selene and Aurelia down who ran to Eric. He hugged them and smiled as they talked his ear off about Athens and everything they got to do. Xena took their satchels into her cottage and opened the doors and windows to let air in. When she came back out Eric was unhitching the wagon as the girls played with the dogs.

"Why aren't you out in the pasture?" Xena asked grabbing a brush she kept in front of the house for Argo. She led her by the reins away from the wagon and began to brush her now that she was free of her restraints.

"Well I hope you won't be mad at me, but I've found someone else to help us out. I've been giving her a trial run this pass week."

"Her?" Xena asked. Eric nodded.

"I didn't think you would mind she's a girl and she's a hard worker." Xena shook her head.

"You let her take all the sheep out?" Xena asked.

"No, I was with her until I saw you in the distance and came to help." Xena nodded. She brushed Argo while Eric went back to the fields and led her to water before she let gallop off to her peers.

"Come on girls I think baths are in order." They groaned. "I'll make pie." They ran for the water. She grabbed their things and soon they were all clean and in clean trousers that exposed the bottom half of their legs. Chastity grabbed her practice staff and let the pigs out of their pen. She was going to herd the sheep and the goats and she was determined to be good at it. So she practiced with the pigs. Lexie always wanting to copy Chastity grabbed a stick and joined her. Selene was content to draw like Chastity used too she loved to paint.

"Mommy I need paint." She showed her she was almost out.

"All right tomorrow we'll make some more for you, okay." Selene nodded. Xena milked the goats to make cheese, but stopped to make lunch when Aurelia said she was hungry. She got them some leftover, bread, meat, and cheese from their travels. She had enough left for dinner. The girl was too shy to meet Xena and Xena decided she'd rather meet her in the morning.

"Mommy what's this?" Chastity asked holding up a book. Xena looked at her.

"That is a story book."

"Story book?" Chastity asked looking confused. "What does it do?"

"Well a book is a record of a story." Chastity opened the book.

"I don't hear anything." Xena smiled.

"No, the book doesn't talk, you have to read it, do you see the words." Xena had neglected to teach her daughters the writing aspect of their letters and numbers. She knew that would have to change. "Come here I read you a little." The other girls were already asleep, tired out from their journey but Chastity as usual was still up. Xena sat down at the table and pulled Chastity into her lap. She opened the book to the first page. "Once upon a time in a far away land their lived a Princess…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"This is Carla."

"Nice to meet you Carla, I know you're hoping for a job here, but you understand that I'll have to watch you make the decision for myself not just go by Eric." Carla nodded. Carla was short and weak in Xena's opinion but she worked hard. Xena decided she could use the extra hand. Once Carla was hired however she seemed to slack off a lot and complain about everything. Worst of all Xena felt she was way too loose in public. What she did in private was her business, but using the barn was not something Xena approved of so she fired her within a month of her arrival.

"I really thought she would be good for this place," Eric said as they led the herds out. Xena shook her head.

"Its fine, I thought she was a hard worker too as well." The girls ran with their sticks. One guard dog almost immediately chased away a wolf.

"Girls come closer there's a wolf." They were all frightened and came closer to her.

"Wolves are persistent aren't they," Eric said. Xena nodded.

"Lost nearly half my sheep last year, but the dogs have gotten more efficient about keeping them away from everyone. Both the women have got a new litter coming soon as you may have noticed."

"I hadn't but I'm learning." Xena nodded.

"Once you see how they normally look you'll be noticing if they get pregnant again."

"You never told me if you control their breeding the sheep and goats I mean."

"The goats well the flock is not that large maybe say twenty in all right, but most our female because they're easier to handle. I usually either kill the males use them for meat or sell them. Usually I sell them and the fattest one I kill. But I keep two for procreation. Once the doe is pregnant I sell them."

"Is it the same with the sheep?"

"I have three Rams in all the rest are female. They only go through so many so between the wolves who become more cunning in winter months, the market, and our consumption during the winter months new lambs are welcome." The new dogs she got for herding were very good at keeping the animals from wandering too far away the group. Goats were more spread out than sheep tended to be so the wolves found them easier to pick on. One even tried to get Aurelia, but Xena used her staff to get rid of it.

"Lexie don't stroke the fire you're still too young let Chastity do it." Lexie complained but a look from Xena silenced her and she let Chastity do it. Aurelia continued to help Xena knead the dough for the top of the pie. She loved to bake and cook. She also liked to help Xena sew and spin the wool.

"I brought you some pie since you didn't stay for dessert," Xena told Eric. She liked him. He was so kind, sweet, and charming.

"Thanks, you didn't have to bring it out here." Xena shrugged.

"I figured the three feet from my house was worth it."

"Would you like to come in?" He asked. Xena nodded. After that they had dessert together every night after the girls had gone to bed.

"Marry me Xena," Eric whispered to her at night when they lay together after making love. They had given his cottage to another man who was a lot of help and he had moved in with her. The girls called him Daddy and loved him dearly. Xena looked at him in surprise she hadn't expected him to ask her that, they had only been together half a year and she had known him for two months before that.

"Sure why not my life is almost perfect." They were married in a small private ceremony and Gabrielle was invited but there was no reply though the messenger assured her the tribe was still there and Queen Gabrielle was alive and well.

"Perhaps you should take a trip to visit her," Cyrene suggested.

"Yes, maybe." Cyrene stayed for Solstice and returned the next year to see her grandson.

"It has been a year and you two still haven't thought of name?" Cyrene asked.

"I don't know nothing seems good enough," Eric commented.

"Soon we'll find the right name. I'm glad we expanded the cottage though, we needed the room." Eric soon went to go help the other man, named Tysus.

"Xena what's wrong?" Cyrene asked. "You seem like you're not happy."

"Because I'm not."

"Why?" Cyrene asked shocked.

"For starters I stay in the house all the time and I mean all the time. I don't even take Argo out for a run now he does that. I don't go into town, I only go outside to bath, water, and milk the goats for cheese or the cow for milk. I loved him more when we weren't married and he wasn't living in here. I understood before when I was pregnant, he didn't want me to help out in the fields, but now things are just getting ridiculous."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"Of course mother, and the only thing we've managed to do is have sex. Which is the only great thing aside from my daughters' happy smiles."

"Nothing good?" Cyrene asked. Xena shook her head.

"Sex is not enough and I was stupid enough to marry him before I took a really good look at my so called love for him." Thunder clashed in the distance, but they all knew it would not reach them until nightfall at least.

"Well Xena you should just get a divorce or make it work. It's all you can do." Xena nodded. Two days later they decided on naming their son, Henry.

"I am not arguing with you about this again; stop treating me like I'm some stupid girl who can't take care of herself!" Eric stomped out in anger and looked almost close to hitting Xena. Xena sighed as she rubbed her head. She hated the fact that he was stressing her out, and it was always ten times worse when she was pregnant. Unfortunately she was pregnant again, but that was not going to stop her from ending it. She had had enough of Eric and his backwards ways.

"I'm sorry you guys have to listen to this," Xena told her children taking her second son Edward, who was only a year old from Chastity who was now Nine years old.

"Its okay mommy, Eric is destroying everything fun about you." They had stopped calling him Daddy some time after Edward was born.

"I know Chastity we're going to get rid of him." She nodded as thunder boomed over head. "Come sit down to dinner everyone, here Lexie take Edward. Lexei was seven years old and beautiful as ever. "Chastity help me make sure the windows are locked.

"Is Eric coming back in?" Selene asked.

"Not tonight, he'll probably stay out there with Tysus again." Selene nodded. Xena collected a lot of wood to add to the fire later and keep dry tomorrow so she could cook. As the rain started to pound the cottage Xena and Chastity locked all the doors and windows and the wind began to howl in anger.

"What's this?" Aurelia asked.

"Hot chocolate, I got some chocolate in town today." Aurelia smiled as she took a sip, but quickly frowned when she felt the sting.

"Next time, don't drink it so quickly let it cool down first." Aurelia nodded. Xena had smart made Henry, Edward, and Aurelia's first, but Aurelia's was still too hot for her.

"Do we get some?" Selene asked coming over to sit on the large bearskin rug followed by Lexie and Chastity.

"Yes, here you go be careful it's hot." She handed Lexie and Chastity their own cups.

"Where are the boys?"

"They wanted their toy horses." Xena stood up careful to move their cups in a safe place as well as her own before she took the rest off of the fire to cool in the living room of the cottage. She went upstairs and retrieved both her sons. They were all too happy to drink hot chocolate. Xena of course told them a tale written by none other than Gabrielle before they read Homer's Great work of art about Odysseus. Since it was so long the girls took turns. They were very good at reading now since she had no longer neglected their education. They were all very smart and fast learners, she didn't spend time locking them away in a room or school house to learn. She actually taught them things and they were very knowledgeable and were learning to look at every opportunity as one of learning.

"Will you show us how to make it next time?" Xena nodded.

"Oh how could I forget the secret ingredient?" She stood up and went into the kitchen. "Let me see your cups." She put chili powder in their hot chocolate, confused they all sipped. Delight and astonishment filled their bright round faces. Xena smiled as well. "I love you all."

"I love you too mommy," They said. The girls had found they were much happier when Eric wasn't around once he had married Xena. In their opinion and hers he had changed. After they finished they went to bed and when they awoke it was raining so hard that there was no way Eric would brave it back to the house. There was hardly any light almost like it was just before the sun even began to peak over the horizon. After three days they began to run out of wood so Xena put on her cloak and braved the rain. She carried in wood which Chastity, Lexie, and Selene took at the door to be placed by the fire. She was soaked in no time, but at least now they had wood drying inside of the house.

"Mama, we're going to run out of food," Chastity said as Xena rung her cloak out.

"No we're not, get Eric's cloak I'm going to go collect some vegetables." Chastity got Eric's cloak and her own.

"Okay I'm ready," Chastity told her.

"Oh no you're not coming out in this weather, I don't need you getting sick on me."

"Mommy it'll go a lot faster with two of us."

"No and I mean it young lady now go get the basket." Chastity sighed and went to get the basket. Xena wearing Eric's cloak headed for the garden She collected every vegetable that had not been ruined in the rain even digging up the potatoes. It was hard work, but she finished She gave everything to chastity before she went into the pens and broke a couple of chickens and ducks neck and slaughtered a pig and two fat sheep. At least they would have meat.

"Eggs," Chastity reminded her.

"I think you guys can live without eggs." Chastity let her in. After she wrung out and hung Eric's cloak to dry she changed into tunic and trousers. She stored all of the meat and vegetables. The rain continued for two weeks and Xena knew that her animals were probably dead. Eric and Tysus must be starving. Her and the children were in perfectly good health when it came to nutrition, but they were pale from the lack of sun and nearly out of wood completely so soon she knew they would be cold.

"Has it every rained like this before Mama?" Chastity asked after another week had passed and they had run out of wood until the rains stopped. They were all lying in bed under the skins with their boots on and their winter clothing.

"No, never, its weird I can't imagine what's going on." She had tried calling Ares, but he had not answered her at all. It was as if he couldn't hear her. "I'm betting it'll stop in a few days." She rubbed Edward's hands. He was the youngest and most vulnerable of all her children. He was already getting a nasty little cough that worried her.

"Mommy do you think it will stop before the baby gets here?" Chastity asked worried.

"Yes most likely, your brother or sister is stubborn and this rain is likely to stop in another week and than your brother or sister will come. A week passed and it continued.

"Okay maybe not, but we'll make it through this," Xena told her. Chastity nodded. That night Xena felt the beginning pains of labor. Chastity by now could recognize from her mother's body language when she was in labor or at least starting.

"Mommy, you should lay down," Chastity told her once she had fixed their meal. Xena herself had opted not to eat at all, she was not hungry.

"No, I'm fine." They had used most of the chairs for fire wood, but when it became clear that the baby was likely to be born while it was still raining they saved the rest for when it came so that in the first couple of days it might enjoy warmth.

"Are you sure Mama?" Xena nodded. They were just finishing up dinner when Xena touched water coming in through the back door and her front door.

"All right Selene you get Aurelia and the boys upstairs now. Chastity, Lexie help me get the furniture to use in the upstairs fireplace later on. Downstairs is going to be flooded and we don't want our only wood wet. They nodded and she used her sword to chop it all up. They also carried upstairs turning a closet into a temporary pantry. The bottom half of the cottage quickly flooded.

"Daddy," Henry cried as he looked out the window and saw the earth covered in water. There were animals floating everywhere, they even saw their dogs. One Belgian sheepdog puppy swam towards Chastity when she opened the window.

"Chastity close that window!" Xena exclaimed just as she pulled it inside.

"Mommy look one of the puppies got saved." Xena walked over and closed the window.

"That's great honey," Xena told her.

"Nobody open anymore windows, understood?"

"Yes mommy." Xena knew they were screwed if the water rose anymore. A hand went to her stomach as she had another contraction. She made all the children come into her bedroom. They chopped up all the furniture except her bed frame which could be used as something to float on. Luckily the bed was huge and would hold them all. Even the baby's cradle could float. She easily secured it to the bed.

"Mama what wrong?" Henry asked always near tears it seemed as of the last week.

"Nothing is wrong your new baby brother or sister will be here soon." Xena of course was betting on a boy because that's all she got from Eric, boys.

"Mama look!" Aurelia exclaimed. There was water coming under the bedroom door.

"Shit, Xena breathed. She knew that if push came to shove she could cut their way out through the roof and they could perhaps use the bed to float. They tied a trunk to the end of the bed and stored the rest of their food and filled the skins with rain water even as a little spilled through the windows. They hung clothes on the posts and made sure the skin would cover them adequately before they all got on the bed. Xena lay on their mattresses which they had put on the floor trying to birth her child quickly, but it just was not coming. Only when the water started rushing in did she join them on the bed. She had no idea what to do as she watched the water level rise. Their roof was already leaking horribly. She used her chakram to cut a hole they could escape through and pulled the rest off the skin on top as they closed the curtains. Aurelia sat in the middle along with the boys.

"Mommy what about the baby?" Chastity asked.

"Don't worry I will figure something out." She kissed her hand. In no time they were floating out of the cottage which was now consumed by the waters. The waters churned mercilessly and waves crashed near them for hours. Xena hoped things would be calmer when the baby was less stubborn. She held onto as many of her children as she possibly could as they clung to her as much as they possibly could.

"Close your eyes and think about how we're all going to go to Amphipolis after this and visit Grandma. I want you to think about Grandma's cooking and all the fun things to do there okay," Xena told them. They nodded as they cried. She was crying too. She was in labor and there was a good chance the child wouldn't survive and worst of all she had six other children to worry about who would be left alone in the world. While they had their eyes closed and she was telling them to think of a happier time when it was all over a huge wave came crashing down on them. They didn't even have time to scream as they were all dragged down into the very bottom depths of the waters.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Where am I?" Xena asked dazed and confused. She was sweaty and lying in a very comfortable bed.

"Is this her?" She heard a voice asked. It sounded young and serious of someone regal.

"Yes, my Queen, we weren't expecting her to be with child, we must have gotten the wrong dimension. It looks like she hasn't fought in years."

"No matter a warrior never forgets and we won't have another chance."

"Is the child coming?"

"Soon my Queen, she has labored even while unconscious."

"Who are you people?" Xena managed to ask more loudly than her last question as a contraction ran through her body. "Ah!" She moaned.

"That is not important, but right now Madam you must push," said a man. Xena nodded. She didn't know how she understood their foreign tongue, but she did quite well. Someone helped her lift up as she bared down to birth her child. Where ever she was she didn't think she was any immediate danger accept that of losing her child. She didn't sense danger. She did however realize that her other children were missing.

"Chastity," She called as she fell back.

"We have a head my queen." The cries of a baby filled the air.

"Who's Chastity?"

"I do not know." They urged her to push again and Xena did so. She sat back in tears as her eyes focused on her child.

"It's a girl my Queen," The man who held her baby announced.

"Give her to me," Xena moaned as the person next to her moved. They continued talking as her child cried. "Give her to me."

"Should we kill it my Queen?"

"No, give her the child." He nodded and placed the baby next to Xena. Xena cradled her in her arms as exhaustion ran through her body. She took a good look at her as the baby's cries died down. Xena fell asleep thinking of all her children and hoping that they too had been saved by these unknown figures. She could only adjust from there.

"Ah you are awake." Xena had just opened the velvet hangings on the huge bed. Her daughter was not beside her and she did not hear any of the other children. She was surprised at the quality of her sheets and blankets, even her night dress was made from the softest cotton. The curtains had revealed to her a woman dressed in the finest cloth money could buy of many different fabrics. There were also several layers to her dress making her hips look narrow. She had many jewels that made a statement.

"Who are you?" Xena also realized that there had been a lot of architectural advancements from the furniture to the structure around her. The walls even had paint on them and it didn't look horrible.

"Me I am Queen Elizabeth of England."

"England?" Xena asked. "I've traveled the world I've never heard of such a place or spoken this language until today. What's going on?"

"Of course not you come from the past, my dear, I had you brought here to help me handle a great crisis, don't worry all your children are safe and the flood did not kill anyone." Xena was relieved to hear that everyone was safe.

"Why would you bring me to the future?"

"Because you are a great warrior and we need someone like you, a hero." Xena nodded.

"Can you send us back?"

"I'm afraid no, we had attempted to grab you from a dimension when you did not have children yet at least. Unfortunately there was a serious storm that wasn't quite as bad here as I imagine it was in Greece from how soaked you were, but it interfered greatly."

"And you expect me to survive the future with no knowledge, money or family. In my experience Monarchs don't last too long." She smiled.

"Yes, well I will pay you and give you an estate and title. I will help you secure marriages for your daughters and sons. I'm sure your second son will make his fortune in the world too."

"I'm sorry you'll have to explain your society to me because I don't believe that my daughters need a man to survive."

"Of course forgive me; I forget that I am of your nature. I too rule alone, no man will rule over me which is why I shall not marry. Perhaps you would grant me your first son as an heir."

"I want to see my children now." Queen Elizabeth nodded.

"Yes, of course, I will call my ladies in to help you dress." Ladies dressed almost as grandly as the Queen. Queen Elizabeth merely watched as they bathed her despite her protests, but she still slightly weak. They dried her off and pulled a linen chemise over her head as the ladies gathered a small farthingale, stockings, bodice because Xena refused a corset, petticoats, gray kirtle, forepart, than the actual gown after refusing a partlet. Fortunately this left some of her shoulders and the upper part of her chest exposed. Xena noticed that the dress however impractical it looked the top had been specially designed to come apart so she could breastfeed. As more and more layers piled on she understood why she needed another woman at least. After that came her separate sleeves and shoes.

"Now for your ruff."

"Ruff?" Queen Elizabeth indicated the one around her neck.

"No, they're highly impractical and I don't want one." They went back and forth and Xena made it clear that if Queen Elizabeth wanted her respect and loyalty she would have to earn it like every other Monarch before her. She was not a sword to be hired, but in light of the circumstances she had to be.

"I am my own person and to me your word isn't law though they may consider it to be." Queen Elizabeth would have usually thrown a tantrum and asked the person who the hell they thought they were, but she was talking to Xena and she knew her nature it was of her own there would be no changing it and she was sure who would dominate if they butted heads too much and she couldn't afford to lose her.

"Fine, bring the children to their mother." They nodded and left all but one lady, who finished brushing her long wavy black hair and secured a French hood to her head.

"Can I get some water?" She asked the remaining lady.

"Yes princess." She left out.

"Princess?" Xena asked as she took a seat in a chair with some difficulty, she was uncomfortable.

"I have announced that you are my sister, certified that you were my mother's last and secret child by my father Henry the VIII. Remember you were born in the Tower of London and a guard smuggled you out. You have been living in the country all your life and were raised by a kind nanny. I was notified of your existence only when I became Queen. My father did know about you, but did not want the public to know of you to avoid a revolt. Executing a pregnant woman would not have been in anyone's favor." Xena nodded.

"How do I explain my children?" Xena asked. "I know nothing of your parents."

"Do not worry I will give you all my knowledge. You will be as well learned as I am once this is all over. You will know of my father, but you have to remember to state that you never met the man personally and of course you never knew my mother. Most importantly if anyone asks he provided you with three thousand pounds a year. I am going to provide you with the same for each member of your family."

"And how will you explain the children?" Xena asked.

"It will be made clear that it was never you or my father's intention that you come to court or marry anyone of your status. You married beneath you and now he is dead leaving you penniless. He was a poor farmer." Xena nodded.

"Sounds about right when I think of Eric except he was a bastard and tried to oppress me."

"Men it is why I will never marry."

"Ah well that's your choice, but better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. And as this is the future he is technically dead am I correct in this?" Queen Elizabeth nodded.

"You are." Xena nodded as the water was brought in just as she was standing up and walking towards the curtains the covered the glass doors.

"Thank you," Xena told her. She sipped her water and opened the curtain. She looked out over the grounds and turned back to the Queen.

"How long has it been since you brought me here?"

"A fortnight, your babe is fine, she has been taken care of by a wet nurse and her christening is soon. We must christen all your children, I forget that I also have spinned the tale that your husband was rather cruel and refused to get the children christened to hurt you. We already had you christened."

"Am I to go by Xena?" Xena asked.

"I thought to leave it as so, but in light of the situation we realized that it was not in your best interest especially if we wanted people to believe your parentage."

"My name than, what is it?"

"Your title is that of princess and you are to addressed as such not as lady." Xena nodded. "You have been christened and we also believed that you would die for you had a very high fever. Your children were just passed out until yesterday." Xena paused in interrupting the Queen to inquire about her children's health. "But I named you Princess Anne Tudor after our mother." Xena nodded.

"I suppose that would be fitting." The door opened and the wet nurse entered with her new daughter. She set her glass down and waited patiently for the woman to reach her. She rejoiced and kissed her forehead full of black hair. She apologized for not being around much. Xena was so happy that she was alive.

"And what name have you considered to give her?" Queen Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth because if you hadn't of conjured me than she would be dead, even if had you not conjured me at all the storm never would have hit." Queen Elizabeth smiled.

"Princess Elizabeth how fitting." Xena nodded. Chastity ran in, she was dressed in a smaller version of Xena's gown but instead of wearing silver and grey she was wearing red and white with a small ruff. "Please remove the ruffs from my daughters and sons they're not to wear it." Queen Elizabeth nodded to her ladies who immediately intercepted them before they all crowded around Xena. She delivered kisses to them all and they told her how they had been given lots of toys and books to read along with food.

"Oh forgive me, you've been up two hours and I have not called for food."

"I'll see to it my Queen." Queen Elizabeth nodded as the lady curtsied and hurried out to speak with a servant who hurried to the kitchen. He brought up watered down wine and boiled capons with a golden saffron sauce. Chastity held her baby sister and allowed her mother to eat freely as well as her siblings before Xena switched with her.

"So what is this great danger that you just had to have me?" Xena asked.

"That I do not know, I just know that it has not happened and more information will present itself in time."

"So this could all be for nothing."

"Well if so, what do you care, you don't have to deal with Eric and you're living in luxury, your children are considered my heirs by the protestant population as my mother's marriage even if annulled would still make you legitimate. It is lucky that your children all take after you or I would have a hard time explaining why they look different."

"Yes, well." After they had eaten they were all given an extensive and private tour of the palace and taught how to operate in their new clothing. Xena learned to take the small slow steps but she preferred her own stride which was inhibited a bit, but she managed.

"Don't worry about meeting anyone," Queen Elizabeth told her. "You will not be exposed to the general public for a year. I don't want rumors of you beauty to spread too quickly." Xena laughed.

"Yeah right. I am going to need a sword if I am going to help protect you."

"Ah I forgot." She hurried off without another word. Xena looked at Chastity who was beside her.

"Got me we've been here a week and I still don't get her," Chastity answered to her silent question.

"Come on let's return to my room and play a game then." Chastity nodded as Xena grabbed the hands of both her little boys and led them back to where they could not entertain the notion of trouble fully. Looking out the window she saw it was noon and time for their naps. Once they were asleep in her bed she attended to her five year old Aurelia who suffered the most she thought and felt more neglect than anyone because it was more new too her and she had a easier time not neglecting the boys.

"Strange new world we live in," Lexie commented as she walked through the gardens with Xena a little later.

"Yes, I agree."

"How are we going to live mommy?" Lexie asked.

"The Queen and I have worked out a deal, we're going to be okay and your going to have to grow up in this world where women are oppressed and sex is taboo, but remember we have the power to change the world. And the change will start with you and me, Chastity, Henry, Edward, Selene, Aurelia, and Elizabeth if it must." Lexie nodded. "Never forget that you are strong and independent. You don't need men as some would have you believe to lead a successful life."

"But what if I decide I want to marry?"

"Than I hope that he'll love you as much as you love him for the rest of your lives. Everyone has a prince and they come in all shapes and sizes. You just have to be careful not to fall for the troll like I did." Lexie giggled.

"Eric is a troll." Xena laughed a little as well as they continued on their walk.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"You have met several ladies and only a few lords of my council who can keep their mouths shut when you have ventured outside of the section of the castle I have closed off for you. But tomorrow, everyone will be there, the revealing of my sister is of great importance to the people."

"Naturally."

"So let's see I have over the course of the year taught you all royal etiquette and diplomacy, the finer points of the church Catholic and Protestant, and you Anne have developed your skills in the weapons you weren't familiar with."

"Believe when I say I think you covered everything the only thing I didn't need to learn was Latin and Greek, I grew up speaking it." Queen Elizabeth chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose and I even got you use to Anne."

"Yes well, I would hope in private you can go back to Xena."

"Soon enough." Xena nodded. "I think you've all adjusted quite well actually. The children are careful in how they say things that might sound like they're from another dimension." Xena nodded.

"My children are very smart indeed." Queen Elizabeth nodded her agreement. "I'm curious about your history books or more what they say about me more than anything, though it appears I've missed a lot."

"Yes, you have, but what about you?"

"It states that I ran away from home at thirteen." Queen Elizabeth nodded. "And ever since that point I've been training and such. I've been painted to be a complete and utter whore."

"In our world that's what you did." Xena shook her head.

"No, see if there's a thing or two I've learned in my time in Ancient Greece is that within each dimension there's only a difference in choices made, which means a difference in your history, however there a key things that are true throughout."

"And what are those key things."

"For one I left home when I was seventeen."

"Why?"

"There was a raid on my village as you know. I know the choice here is to run or fight. In my world I chose to fight, but I failed. Cortese the man in charge raped me and my brother walked in. Cortese killed him and when his back was turned I slit his throat in my rage and anger."

"I knew the God of war was just a myth."

"Ares is no myth, the Gods are real and so is the one true God, you actually caught me when I was very knowledgeable in my life. I've met angels and demons all in the same year." Queen Elizabeth's eyes were a light.

"Continue with your life story, please." Xena smiled at her.

"Only if we lay down." Both women lay down on Queen Elizabeth's bed side by side in their night clothing so Xena could go straight to bed when their meeting had ended, but both found that they shared a lot of sleepless nights.

"So what happen after you took a man's life?" Xena could hear it in Queen Elizabeth's voice that she did not judge her.

"I dragged my brother's body home even though I was bleeding. When my mother saw my blood she thought perhaps my brother had caught me whoring myself and gotten killed in the process. She hadn't realized he'd run back to fight too. He wanted too as much as I did. We couldn't just see our home destroyed."

"I would die for England."

"And I suppose I will now too if it must come to that."

"England will forever be grateful." Xena nodded. "She kicked you out?"

"No, I had my own pain to deal with now aside from the one of my brother's death, I don't think she'll ever forget the look in my eyes with all the rage gone if only for those few days. I healed and for awhile the bloodlust that would late seize me disappeared. My elder brother ran off and I stayed in my mother's tavern all the time away from the villagers who now cursed me for the deaths of their sons."

"When did you leave?"

"I left the day I noticed a huge change in my body."

"You were pregnant."

"Yes, I cried for days on end, refusing any food or to even see my mother. Finally one night I left her a note saying I was going to kill myself because of the pregnancy. I left in the middle of the night and I walked for days eating and drinking nothing. I only stopped walking when I felt pain. And than I just lay in the forest until it finally went away."

"The baby was dead."

"Yes, I passed out and when I woke up I was in a village. With the baby gone there just seemed to be all this empty space, and than it happened."

"What happened?"

"The village was attacked by another army, and they were heading for Amphipolis next. The thought of my home being attacked again filled me with rage and worst of all, my mother could be the next casualty. I gathered all the men I could and slaughtered most of the army and the leader. I made them join mine and slaughtered the next army en route for Thrace. After that I took the surrounding villages around Amphipolis making them loyal to it."

"So you did to the villages what you had just saved them from."

"No, I was filled with rage, but I wasn't cruel. No I merely threatened and extracted a fee for my protection, however I never went back to Amphipolis except once. My mother was happy to see me, she thought I was dead, but when she found out I was heading the army and had threatened the other villages she became distant. I asked her how could she shun her own daughter and she told me her daughter was dead. Looking back I would say she was right, but I wasn't gone yet, I still had good intentions. It was after I met Caesar that I died."

"It must be a painful thing to die, I wonder how will die."

"Death isn't painful, it's peaceful. Sometimes we suffer before, but trust when that moment comes it'll be the most peace you'll ever feel. However it is a painful thing to die as I did during that time. I was twenty-seven when I just seemed to be reborn. From there I met Gabrielle, and she anchored me to this world. That's also how I know your histories are wrong, there's no Gabrielle. Gabrielle and I are soul mates no matter the dimension sooner or later we'll meet. And in the afterlife we'll be together."

"If only I could know such friendship, but I cannot trust people so deeply in my line of work."

"You can trust me, I don't betray my friends."

"Nor do I." They fell silent. "How did you end up with seven children?"

"Well as it happens Gabrielle and I were crucified, we died, and ended up in heaven, the heaven you think of with archangels and guardian angels and than there was hell full of its demons. I fought for God and than I switched places with a condemned and fought for the devil himself."

"How did you get back?"

"A prophet, I noticed that he did not exist in the bible."

"No, what happen when you two came back?"

"We battled the Gods, I was pregnant for the third time, my son had died two years earlier, a tale for another sleepless night. To make a long story short, I got pregnant like the virgin mary, the only difference was I wasn't a virgin. The war we fought left us all ragged, I was grateful in the end that I did not have to kill to fulfill God's plan. It left us all exhausted and lost with no answers. However my daughter was still a threat to them."

"The Gods killed her?" Xena nodded.

"It was the first time I had spilled a God's blood, Zeus was no longer needed. Gabrielle blamed herself and I blamed myself, eventually I convinced her to go rule the Amazons as their Queen." Tears ran down Xena's eyes as she remembered Eve's beautiful smile.

"How long after your daughter's death?"

"Not long, we had just gone to Egypt on vacation when Cleopatra, yes the Cleopatra sent us a scroll. Either Brutus or Marc Anthony had murdered her; Rome wanted control of Egypt. So therefore I pretended to be her and seduced Marc Anthony. I could not do the same for Brutus for he recognized us on sight. When it was all said and down Gabrielle had taken Brutus' life and I had been forced to take Anthony's. After that we traveled a few more weeks together lost and finally we just parted as if we were still completely happy before God made us apart of his little plan. I was pregnant with Chastity than. Ares, Hercules, and Autolycus helped me to build my new home away from the world aside from a village."

"And the others?"

"When Chastity was two I wanted more children, so I picked the best possible traveler who I knew would never settle down and was of course good looking and convinced him to sleep with me. Just turned out he was a good lay and came back twice over the next two years. He knew about the girls, but I told him that I had wanted them on purpose after that he never came back. Than I married Eric, who I thought was a good person, but he just wanted to keep me in the house, you know that mind set, that's not me, I'm a free spirit and my girls are free spirits. We had Henry, Edward, and Elizabeth. I had just ended it with him weeks before Elizabeth's birth, before the storm."

"Did you ever travel again?"

"Not in the sense I did before God. I swore to Chastity before she was born that she would have a proper home with a room, farm animals, and all that. She was going to grow up a village girl, and I know eventually I will teach her to fight, already now she knows skeletal movements of the staff as does Lexie. But all in good time I say."

"Perhaps you could begin teaching me, I need new things to do with my time."

"Sure thing." They were silent again as they were finally getting tired.

"Is this what its like to have a real sister, I understand what its like to have a brother, but is this what real sisters do."

"This is what close sisters do, they stay up late talking about anything, sometimes there is giggling, and other times there's just comfortable silence. But it is also what best friends do."

"Than you are both my sister and best friend."

"Your people will not think so, the servants talk, I've been kind to them yes, but they talk."

"People always talk, just show them that you are like me and listen. Show them that you truly do care and that you are a devout protestant."

"Naturally." There was knock on the door. Queen Elizabeth sat up.

"Enter." Kat Ashley walked in.

"Forgive me my Queen, Princess, but the young Princess Elizabeth wishes for her mother and she won't stop crying."

"Good night Elizabeth."

"Good night Xena." Xena smiled at her before Kat Ashley helped her with her robe on before walking out with her with the lamp. Poor Elizabeth was crying in her bed and her nanny could do nothing. The nanny however was only around if Xena were doing something where the youngest of the children might find injury otherwise she saw plenty of her mother and Xena in fact would punish her if she didn't call for her when she wanted her. She would not have her dependent on the nanny.

"Its all right, I'm here." They watched them as Xena climbed into bed with her. "Leave us." The nanny and Kat Ashley left to their own beds as Elizabeth calmed down. Elizabeth snuggled up next to her mother in a little ball pushing her little feet closer to Xena. Xena never understood how the girl had such cold feet. She rubbed her feet to get some warmth into them. Xena hummed softly Elizabeth's lullaby as she put her arms around her until they were both fast asleep.

"I'm sorry to wake you Princesses, but the Queen bids I must do so, we have a very busy day." Xena nodded as she yawned and pulled Elizabeth out of bed with her. She took her morning bath with her before seeing to the other children before she finally let the nannies do their jobs.

"Mother," Chastity greeted coming into her room while she was a lone for a minute.

"What did you call me?"

"Mother."

"No, Chastity you're not allowed to say anything other than mommy or momma understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Chastity said. She didn't like to be scolded and she knew Xena meant what she said because she didn't scold them often not even when they got dirty.

"It's all right, I love you." Chastity smiled.

"I love you too Momma."

"See now that is music to my ears." Chastity giggled and wished her mother could pick her up but their dresses made that impossible, however she would make up for it when she was dressed for bed and than she would get her chance. "And I'll be waiting." Chastity grinned.

"When this is all over can we wear trousers and go horse back riding or hunting?"

"You bet."

"And can you start teaching me the staff."

"I guess its time we worked it into your life."

"Me too Momma?" Lexie asked excitedly.

"You're only six Lexie, you have to wait until your eight." Lexie frowned.

"But Chastity gets to do it."

"Chastity is eight years old darling." Lexie frowned but accepted her fate to wait another two years.

"Don't worry I'll teach you secretly, Lex," Chastity told her in her loud child whisper. Lexie grinned happily.

"Hey guys it's not a secret if I know about it," Xena told them in just a loud of a whisper. They giggled and she chased them around the room. Aurelia happily joined the chase along with the others when they entered. Today was going to be a long day Xena knew, but at least they were all going to start it off happy.


End file.
